Hello from Durham NC-



A comment on this bill- the primary intended target for this bill is the keepers of "pet" tigers. We have had 2 or 3 kids mauled fatally in the last 5-7 years, always a result of inadequate safety procedures, complacency, etc.



For some reason NC seems to have more than it's share of exotic (and dangerous) large felines, etc, I guess the climate is mild enough or population density both high and low enough, or whatever.



While they are at it they want to make a wide sweep of public hazards, without really understanding. An escaped gharial is little danger to the public, there are already lots of venomous snakes in our backyards, etc, etc...Personally I favor some control over the situation without knee-jerk responses - maybe a licensing process- ie you have to pass a test/be inspected to be allowed to keep some species, with appropriate criteria. That would weed out the worst offenses of improper animal care, both for the protection of the public and the animal's well-being.



Unfortunately such a process is very expensive to the state, we won't see anything like that.



We lose many more kids to attack-dog breeds than tigers, let alone gaboon vipers or pythons, so there isn't any real logic to the bill, other than it is easier to get people to vote against keeping rhinoceroses(...rhinoceri...whatever) than dogs.



Note also native species are excluded- under this bill you can keep all the 6-foot rattlesnakes you like (except protected species under NC WRC laws). Lack of understanding.



Just my 2 cents offered at a discount...

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